Waiting (Parenting Series Part One)
by Juliet'sEmoPhase
Summary: Draco tries to soothe Harry as they wait anxiously for the arrival of their first child. Post Hogwarts. Non-Epilogue Compliant. Drarry. No smut. NOT MPREG (just to be clear lol).


Author's Note 01-05-15: I'm sorry, too many lovely fluffy feels ran away with me on this one and I basically wrote the equivalent of candy floss drenched in syrup and sprinkled with rainbows. Actually, I'm not sorry, I love these squishy guys so much haha :-P I think I'm going to write more in this universe, but for now, here's the start of Harry and Draco's little family 3

This is a birthday present for the gorgeous Andie who goes by mangoapplepie on Tumblr – I hope you enjoy this darling!

No smut or bad language in this one but we do deal with the business of giving birth, so there's some practical chat about that hopefully no one will mind!

xJx

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Waiting

Harry knew he was beginning to wear a track down in the linoleum floor at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, but he just couldn't seem to help himself. His fingernails were chewed and he couldn't eat or drink anything, his nerves had worn him into such a state. "We should be in there," he worried for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

"The Healers said they would come get us when there was any changes," Draco sighed tiredly, rubbed his eyes into his sockets. "There were too many people in the room, these things take time."

His words didn't really penetrate Harry's frenzied state though. "I did this to her, she's my friend, I should be looking after her."

Draco's calm demeanour was irking Harry, making him ratty, so he was very glad when his husband finally mellowed and reached out his hand, beckoning Harry to him. "Come here," he said warmly, and Harry gratefully did as he was told.

He went to sit in the hard plastic chair, but Draco pulled him into his lap instead. They were a little too big to really fit, but Harry didn't care, curling into Draco's neck and letting himself be soothed. "What if there have been complications?" Harry murmured into his jumper.

"They would have told us," Draco assured him, stroking his hair. "My mother was in labour for over twelve hours with me, it's tricky work trying to get a human being out of you apparently. Ginny's tough, she'll be fine. She volunteered for this remember?"

"I know," Harry sniffed. "I just want to know she's okay."

Draco pulled away from him slightly so he could sneak a swift kiss on Harry's lips. "I know you do, and that's why I love you you big softie, but unless you've forgotten, she threw a vase at you and told us to get out until it was time."

Harry laughed, he couldn't help it. He knew Gin hadn't meant it, she wasn't really angry, but she was in a lot of pain and hadn't wanted the two men anxiously hanging around her lady parts whilst she tried to expel Harry's child that she'd so generously agreed to carry for them.

His child. Nerves fluttered through him again. He couldn't believe, still, that he and Draco were about to become a family. Were they mad? Their relationship had hardly been the smoothest, even after school when they'd long put their grievances behind them, fallen in love, gotten married. They were just so different in temperament, would they be able to make parenting work?

It was a little late to be worrying about that now, but in the haze of his concern for Ginny it was easy to start questioning anything and everything, right down to why he'd chosen that particular hideous jumper to race to the hospital in. It had holes in the elbows, he was going to meet his son or daughter for the first time looking like a ruffian!

He started picking at one of the lose threads, until Draco placed a cool hand over his fervent fingers, stilling them. "Everything's going to be fine," he promised, rubbing his thumb over Harry's knuckles.

"Easy for you to say," Harry bit back, trying to be funny but probably coming across as grumpy. "We'll see how calm you are when it's Pansy delivering your baby."

Draco though, ever patient, seemed to see the humours side of the dig. "Pansy will probably sneeze sometime between pre-natal yoga and her appointment with the masseuse, out will pop little Malfoy Junior, and if we're lucky she'll notice long enough to inform a house-elf to drop the ankle bitter at our doorstep. No stress required."

Harry snorted, too tired to care how ghastly it sounded. "That fills me with confidence," he admonished.

Draco was pleased with himself though at getting Harry to relax enough to laugh, that much was evident on his face. "You'll have a couple of years to get used to the idea," he replied, brushing some of Harry's wayward hair out of his eyes. "Mine and Parkinson's child will obviously be a great deal more sophisticated than yours and Weasley's. The sooner you accept that the happier we'll all be."

Rather than be goaded, Harry felt a swell of love at his husband's teasing, and he wrapped his arms around him to snuggle even closer into their cuddle. "I love you," he mumbled. "But us Gryffindors will definitely be the superior side of this family."

Draco laughed and jabbed his fingers into Harry's ribs, making him jerk and chuckle too. "Hey, houses are fair play remember? Just because they'll have your genes doesn't mean I won't try my damndest to get them into Slytherin."

"You know they'll probably end up in Ravenclaw just to spite us," Harry joked back, and Draco grimaced.

"Of Hufflepuff," he said with a shudder.

Tears had been threatening to spill from the corners of Harry's eyes after all the stress and worry, but laughing was what actually made one finally fall and he wiped it away with the back of his sleeve.

"We're going to be a family," he said, leaning back and looking into Draco's grey eyes. Saying it out loud made it more real somehow.

Draco smiled at him and gave his arm a quick squeeze. "We are," he said simply.

Someone cleared their throat and Harry shot back up to his feet like a rocket. Cho Chang had come back into the waiting room and was looking frazzled as she folded her arms. "How's it going?" Harry cried, bounding over to her.

Cho rose an eyebrow. "You broke my wife," she said sardonically.

Icy coldness rinsed through Harry's body, but then Draco's hands were on his shoulders, his chest pressing up to Harry's back. "Chang," he said in a warning tone, and Cho rolled her eyes.

"She's doing okay," she said, and relaxed a little. "The Healers reckon it's probably not going to be long now, so Ginny wanted you boys so come back." She winked at harry. "And she's sorry about the vase."

Harry was already pushing through the door though, Draco and Cho in his wake. "No she's not," he grinned. Ginny could lob whatever she liked at his head in exchange for bringing his baby into the world.

It didn't take long to reach Ginny's room, her gnashing battle-cries reaching their ears long before they entered. She was surrounded by several Healers as she moaned and strained, knees up high as she fought to get the child safely out of her.

The mid-wife smiled as the three came back into the room, Harry and Cho rushing to Ginny's sides. "We're almost there," the Healer announced happily.

"How are you doing?" Harry asked stupidly, grabbing Ginny's hand.

"Trying to pass a bowling ball out of my pelvis whilst plotting ways to kill you Potter," she growled before letting out another guttural cry. She was bathed in her own sweat and her grip on Harry's fingers was threatening to break some of the bones, but he didn't care. He kissed the back of her hand and beamed at her.

"You're so amazing," he said, feeling fresh tears prick at his eyes.

Cho stroked her sopping hair back as she screamed and pushed again. "Come on baby, you're doing so well, nearly there," she told her, biting her lip. "I'm so proud of you, keep going."

"It's got to be a boy," Ginny uttered through clenched teeth. "Nymphy wasn't half this difficult to get ou-arGH!"

"Are we hoping for a boy or a girl?" one of the Healers asked, attempting to distract the room.

Harry shook his head. "I don't care," he said honestly. "So long as they're healthy."

"So long as they're not ginger," Draco quipped, and Ginny let go of Harry's hand long enough to give him the finger.

"Another nice big push Ginny," encouraged the mid-wife. "We can see the crown, you're almost there."

Harry felt Draco's hands on his shoulders as Ginny howled defiantly, giving everything she had, until suddenly she dropped back into the pillows on the bed, and a tiny wail broke through the air.

Harry hadn't realised he'd been holding his breath until he gasped, the tears falling unabashed down his face as the baby was handled deftly by the Healers, ushering the tiny being into the harsh light. "It's a boy!" the mid-wife declared as they quickly checked the child over, wiping blood from his small, writhing body.

Harry threw his arms around poor Ginny, who was too exhausted to reciprocate much. "Thank you," he managed to breathe out. "Thank you so much."

"You owe me," she mumbled through half a grin.

"Who wants to cut the cord?" the mid-wife asked, and Harry pulled away nodding, not able to speak. He and Draco had already agreed this would be his job, and he let the Healers guide him as they handed him the specialist scissors, indicating he should cut between where they'd clamped. He did with a swift snip, and then moved back to allow the rest of the procedure to be completed.

Cho had made her way around to Harry and Draco's side of the room, and she nudged him in the ribs. "Take your jumper off," she said.

"Huh?" asked Harry, dazed.

"Skin to skin contact is really important, that's what I did when Nymphadora was born, you want the baby to know you're his daddy."

Daddy. Harry almost choked on the lump in his throat. He was Daddy now.

"She's right," said the mid-wife as she wrapped up the baby and her colleagues tended to Ginny. "You'll both want to get your tops off, and quick. This little man wants his daddies."

Harry turned gleefully to Draco…and realised he was silently sobbing his heart out, arms wrapped around his chest, backed into the corner of the room. "Hey," said Harry urgently, moving over to him, cupping his face with his hand. "Hey, hey, it's alright."

Draco shook his head, wet eyes trained on their tiny son. "I can't…" he stuttered. "What if…it's too much…"

Harry exhaled. So much for all that cool Slytherin bravado. He was just as scared and overwhelmed as Harry was. "Everything's going to be fine," he assured him, echoing his own words from earlier in the waiting room. He managed to catch Draco's eye and nodded, smiling broadly. "Come on, we need to meet our son."

Draco hiccupped, but held Harry's gaze and finally nodded back.

"Get your kit off," Ginny called over to them sleepily, waving her hand about sluggishly. "I need to at least get _something_ out of this."

Harry laughed, still shaking from crying as he yanked his old jumper off. "You got a _nephew," _he said pointedly, pulling his t-shirt over his head too, exposing his torso.

Ginny blew a raspberry, and Harry suspected the Healer's potions were going to her head. "Got loads of them," she said cheekily.

"This one's not ginger though," Harry retorted with a wink, thankfully making Draco laugh as their little boy was half bundled up in a blanket, and held up by the mid-wife. Harry took him in his arms eagerly, gently pressing their chests together and letting out another sob.

"You two are such wusses," said Cho with a roll of the eye as she cuddled up to Ginny, who tried to push her away.

"I'm gross," she mumbled.

"Don't care," grinned Cho.

Harry could hardly breathe. The baby had quietened in his arms, and suddenly he felt whole, complete, like he had been missing a piece of his heart he didn't even realise was waiting to be filled until this tiny little buba had come along.

And then Draco was in front of him, bare-chested too, letting Harry draw him in with his free hand so their son was lightly squished between them. They were both still crying but through happy smiles now, and Draco leant down to kiss the baby's head, then Harry's as a flash went off with a click.

Harry looked up to see one of the Healers beaming back at him with his camera in hand. He'd forgotten he'd given it to her hours ago and asked for a family photo as soon as they could have one. "That's going to be a keeper," she said, indicating the camera.

Harry grinned goofily back at her. He didn't care how much Draco would undoubtedly protest at being puffy eyed, that picture was going straight on their living room wall.

He turned back to Draco, pride practically emanating from him as he watched his husband carefully stroking the baby's head, and hugged him as tight as he dared.

"He looks like you," Draco whispered wetly, fingers tracing over jet black hair.

Harry gave him a quick kiss, before transferring their little boy into his other dad's arms. "He's all ours," he whispered back. "We're really a family now."

Draco cradled the boy delicately. "We were always a family," he said sincerely, chest shuddering. "Now there's just one more of us."

"Urgh," slurred Ginny and giggled. "You gays are so _gay._ Auntie Gin wants to know the name of the womb nugget she so very kindly made for you."

Harry and Draco had talked long and hard about names. They were both keen to honour their fathers, but Draco seemed to have intuitively worked out Harry wouldn't be comfortable calling their child Lucius after all the bad blood between Harry and the older Malfoy. So they'd come to a compromise. If Draco's baby turned out to be a boy, he would be Lucian. And if Harry likewise had a son…

"Jamie," he said thickly, sweeping back fine black hair and kissing the baby's head. "His name is Jamie."

The End

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Author's Note 01-05-15: I got the term "womb nugget" off some Tumblr post, no idea which one, but I definitely didn't come up with that geniusness by myself (sadly). Credit where credit is due!


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